The Gang Life: Laugh Now, Cry Later examines the criminal gangster mindset and offers predictive gang prevention strategies, using real-world examples to demonstrate a holistic approach toward combatting this surging societal problem. The text outlines the evolution of gang membership from a state of interest, to association, to hardcore, "O.G." (Original Gangster) status, and explores the evolution of law enforcement's multi-pronged approach to combating criminal street gang violence. Designed for criminal justice students and for practitioners in the field, this text offers readers a holistic approach toward predictive gang prevention from three nationally awarded educators and gang investigators.